Jamestown Many people explored America before the United States was formed. The area that would become known as Jamestown was colonized by English settlers. This occurred in 1607. King James I of England allowed a group of business people to go to America and settle the new land. They chose Virginia because they were part of the Virginia Company. Plans to go over to this new world began in 1606. By the end of that year, they were ready to go. Two hundred and fourteen people would set sail on this American voyage. The voyage was quite long. They finally arrived in Virginia on May 14, 1607. It did not take long for the new English settlers to find trouble. Almost as soon as the settlers were on land, they were attacked by the Algonquins. The Algonquins were a group of Native Americans who were living in the area. They were not very friendly when it came to new settlers. However, the English settlers managed to ward off the attack. Captain John Smith was in charge of the group of settlers. Together, they built a fort and other buildings necessary to colonial settlers. Soon after their colony was more established they even found Native Americans who would trade with them. One of them was a man named Powhatan. In 1607, three ships arrived in America with 104 men and boys. The Godspeed, the Discovery, and the Susan Constant were the name of these English ships. On this second voyage, a new leader, Captain Christopher Newport, arrived in Virginia. The settlers named a nearby river James after the King of England. Close to this river, they settled on a peninsula. The settlers named their new home Jamestown. The year of 1609 was a hard year for the settlers. It was so bad it was later known as the starving time. The winter months were so rough that many settlers died. Only 60 of the 214 settlers made it through the winter. There was very little food. The settlers were not able to tolerate such harsh weather. Native Americans would not trade with them and fires ruined a good portion of their supplies. The settlers were not used to living in such a way. It made life nearly impossible for the entire colony. The season of starving would end in 1610. This is when the Virginia Colony Governor, Lord De La Warr arrived in Jamestown. He arrived with 300 men and plenty of supplies to help the Jamestown colonists. Despite arriving in 1610, he went home to England a year later. This was due to bad health. However, in the brief time that Lord De La Warr was in Virginia he made quite the impression. So much so, the state of Delaware was named in his honor. After Lord De La Warr left, Thomas Dale became the leader of Jamestown. Dale believed in running a colony with strict rules. Dale believed in the three strikes rule. The first time a person disobeyed his rules they were to be whipped. The second time they would be sent to jail. If they continued to disobey a third time, they would be executed. 1
Dale made sure to encourage settlers to work hard to help the colony grow. One of the ways he did this was by giving them their own land. John Rolfe was one of the first colonists to plant tobacco in Jamestown. The tobacco seeds that were used came from a Caribbean Island. These seeds were planted and then sent to England. Once they were sent to England, they were sold. Often, they would sell or trade this tobacco with Native Americans as well as to the English back home. Tobacco was profitable for the colonists because it was easy to plant and grow. It brought them quite a bit of money. The more money the colony made off the crops, the more Jamestown grew. John Rolfe is famous for something other than planting tobacco. He married the Native American princess, Pocahontas. This was the young girl, who was well known for saving John Smith's life. When Rolfe and Pocahontas married this brought eight years of peace between Jamestown and the Native American Tribe Powhatan ruled. Note: Powhatan was Pocahontas father! The summer of 1619 brought many changes to the Jamestown colony. First, 20 Africans came to the colony for work as indentured servants. This meant they would work for a set period before they would be set free. They were provided everything they needed to live such as food, shelter, and clothing. After they served their time working, they were allowed to stay in Jamestown as colonists. Slavery would not be a part of this area of Virginia for many years. The House of Burgesses was the first elected assembly in America. The Assembly first met in Jamestown on July 30, 1619. This was during a period when Jamestown was known as the capital of Virginia. It would remain the capital until 1698. Jamestown was home to many hardworking men and women. Many of the women came over in 1620 on the Bride Ship. The Virginia Company sent the ship over from England to Jamestown. The women's duties were much different from the men. The women needed to work in the kitchen, the garden, and raised any children they had. They also took care of such things as the smoke house, the tobacco fields, and the orchids. Their most important duty was to take care of the main home they lived in. This allowed the men to worry about business and providing for their family. The women also provided but they did so by feeding and caring for their family in other ways. The Virginia Company allowed the Jamestown men to get to know the women on the bride ship and if any of the women were married, their new husband had to pay for his wife's trip with money from his tobacco crop. 2
Jamestown Worksheet Multiple Choice 1. The settlers of Jamestown traveled from what place and settled in what current state? A. England, Delaware B. France, Virginia C. Virginia, England D. England, Virginia 2. What year did the settlers begin traveling to Jamestown? A. 1606 B. 1605 C. 1607 D. 1610 3. What was the name of the second Captain to travel a group of settlers to Jamestown? A. Captain James Smith B. Captain Christopher Newport C. Captain James Rolfe D. Captain William Smith 4. This boat was not one of the names of the boats that carried Jamestown settlers to Virginia A. The Godspeed B. The Susan Constant C. The Discovery D. The Algonquin Fill in the Blank 5. The state of Delaware was named in honor of. 6. was one of the first people to plant tobacco in Jamestown. 3
7. John Rolfe married Pocahontas, which allowed Jamestown and the nearby Indian tribe to enjoy of peace. 8. The settlers of Jamestown named a nearby river after the of. Essay Write the Answers of a Separate Sheet of Paper 9. Indentured servants were brought to Jamestown and were able to work off a debt for four to seven years for their eventual freedom. This meant that for those years they were owned by the plantation owner that held their work contract. Why do you think the Africans came to America to be indentured servants? Please explain your answer. 10. Men and women in Jamestown had very different roles. It was the job of the women to take care of the home and the tobacco fields while the men worked in business and tried to better the colony. How do you think this differs from society today? 4
Answer Key 1. D 2. A 3. B 4. D 5. Lord De La Warr 6. John Rolfe 7. eight years 8. James, King of England 9. Answers may vary 10. Answers may vary 5